


Kindling

by VulpesVelvet (squidcandy)



Category: DreamSMP, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Aromantic GNF, Assumed Relationship, Broken Engagement, Child Neglect, Curse Breaking, Curses, Exes, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Manipulation, Minor Superpowers, New L'Manberg, Non-Human Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), ONLY THEIR CHARACTERS GUYS NOT THE REAL PPL, Personal Canon, Pre-Doomsday, Reconciliation, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Wedding video is canon, Where dream isnt THAT much of an ass, gOD I HATE THE RPF TAGS SM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 07:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30051732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidcandy/pseuds/VulpesVelvet
Summary: (Written pre-doomsday, shortly after the wall was built and pre-exile)(Set in the same universe, except everyone is born with a curse called an Epithet that can only be broken under certain conditions)"I'll come back tomorrow to fix- help you. I promise." Dream stood up and headed towards the door. As he left the house, he heard a muttered reply that felt like someone drove an icicle into his chest."I'll add that to the list."It was- it should have been infuriating, something so snarky and unnecessary that Dream should have turned around and told him how lucky he was to even be alive. It shouldn't have affected him, because he didn't care about Fundy, he never did. It was over, and all that mattered were the discs. This was just unfinished business.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Floris | Fundy
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57





	Kindling

__

> _i'm sorry about running away during the wedding. i didn't know what to do because i wasn't ready for anything close to what you wanted. i was too scared to tell you that it was too much for me and i felt under pressure ever since i said yes. i should have turned you down in the beginning because i wasn't ready for that kind of relationship. george was only trying to help me, i didnt want to leave you at the altar. you looked so sad i couldnt face you._

_Sorry,  
Dream_

* * *

"That has got to be the worst apology letter I have ever read," Sapnap snickered, holding the paper up.

"What's wrong with it?" Dream replied irritably.

"First of all, you're not even apologizing for the actual reason Fundy is sad," Sapnap leaned back on the chair and held a finger up to display his points.

"Secondly, you forgot to capitalize everything besides your own name."

Dream shoved Sapnap lightly in response to that, which earnt him another snicker. He folded his arms impatiently and stood there like a prickly teenager.

"How am I supposed to know the 'real' reason Fundy is sad?"

"I dunno, but he was different after that. Didn't look anyone in the eye, just sat on the stairs to the building for hours, staring at nothing. You must have done something worse." 

Dream tried to mask his annoyance, but then reminded himself that a proper apology was the least he could do for Fundy. He raised his hand to massage his temples but felt static on his fingertips instead of skin. The sensation served to remind him of his own lack of humanity. He sat down on the desk to write another letter.

* * *

_Dear Fundy,_

> _I'm sorry about leaving you at your wedding. I actually wanted to leave you sooner but I couldn't figure out how to say it. I can repay for all of the money you spent on the wedding and stuff though. George was also only being a good friend. Sorry about all of the cool things that you made for me._
> 
> _Sorry,_

_  
Dream_

* * *

"How did you get worse?" Sapnap laughed, holding his stomach with one hand and the paper with the other.

"Just tell me what's wrong with it!" Dream made a grab for the paper, but Sapnap moved it out of the way, still laughing.

"Oh my god, I don't know where to start! 'Wedding and stuff'? 'I actually wanted to leave you sooner'? Dream you have no idea how other people think, do you?"

"I do! I always know how to play mind games with the rebels."

"That's starting conflict. Do you know how to resolve conflict?"

"Big words coming from you of all people."

"What can I say? I see irrational attachment to animals and I just can't help myself."

"You're an asshole."

"So are you."

Dream groaned and crumpled up the paper, slumping over his desk in defeat.

"You should ask Bad."

"Huh?"

"Badboyhalo. He's great with this shit, right?"

"Yeah but... he's going to chew me out for sure."

"Oh, yeah." Sapnap chuckled, reaching for the crushed up paper and frowning as it caught fire and turned to ash in his palms. The fire was mesmerizing. 

Dream wasn't about to be lectured by a pacifist. Friends or not, it went against his entire approach. Still, it was frustrating to be at a loss for once. He had become accustomed to being very good at most things. Maybe it had gotten into his head a little.

"I thought you guys were engaged for two months? Surely you were close enough?" George said, startling the two of them. He had been curled up on an armchair in the corner near the fireplace, mostly spectating. Dream had almost forgotten he was there.

"I don't actually know that much about him, though. He kind of switched sides during the war too, so there wasn't much opportunity."

"You sure about that?" Sapnap quipped.

"Sapnap, shut up if you don't have anything useful to say,"

Dream snapped, patience tested. Sapnap looked surprised before his expression turned sour. He turned back to the flint and steel he was now fiddling with, silent.

"Dream, calm down." George's voice cut through the tension, unaffected by the atmosphere as usual. That was his specialty. The world could be in flames and George would shuffle through the same five responses to any given situation.

"Ugh, I just. This doesn't even matter! He's on the opposing side, and we have bigger fish to fry! Like that other disc!"

"Well, I mean- What if he wasn't on the other side? Would you not apologize then? What if it was me or Sapnap?"

"Neither of those things are anything but hypotheticals, so I don't have to worry about that," Dream deflected. George stared at him, expression unreadable for a few seconds, before shrugging and going back to reading.

"I'm just saying, why don't you apologize in person?"

"Besides the fact that I'll be shot on sight?"

"Never stopped you before."

"Well-"

"What are you so afraid of?" George interrupted him, once again demonstrating his prowess in cutting straight to heart of issues.

"Nothing." Dream replied stubbornly. 

"I just don't want to take the risk of falling into enemy hands. I'm just.. gonna go back to writing letters. Without Sapnap's help."

"Suit yourself." George said, and went back to reading.

* * *

> _  
> _
> 
> I was originally going to start this letter with 'dear fundy' but that would probably be in bad taste. I know you are sad about the wedding. I would be sad too if someone made me prepare an entire event for no reason. I don't see you come out of your house very often, but when you do you look at me, even though i'm all the way on top of the hill. I don't wave back or anything because I see you out of the corner of my eye. you're alone a lot even though your ghost dad tries to talk to you a lot. sorry about that. also sorry about the wedding thing

_  
_

_dream  
_

* * *

HISSSSSS-

"No- SHIT!"

BOOM

Dream scrambled away from the creeper just in time to see it explode right next to Fundy's house. The structure shook, but held it's shape save for the smoking crater and a partially broken wall.

"God, what the fuck is it _now_ ," Dream heard complaining as Fundy came out to check on the damage. He tried to hide, but it was far too late.

The fox didn't have his jacket on, and his shirt looked like it had been hastily put on. One glance at the smoking crater was all it took for his snout to scrunch up in a way that Dream thought- used to think- was cute.

"Oh," Fundy noticed him. He stared at Dream for a second, trying to sort through his expressions. Despite himself, he settled into a tired smile.

"Dream! How... nice! of you to visit!"

"No- I was just passing through- sorry."

"Ah... I thought you came for a different reason." Fundy's ears drooped and Dream felt his resolve shake. He just looked kind of pathetic like that.

"I could stay for a while...." Dream said, guilt tinging his voice.

"I'll make some tea, then." Fundy replied, ears pricking up and tail swaying slowly despite the level nature of his voice. His body language was far too readable.

"That sounds good." 

Dream stepped inside the wooden house, the insides swathed with sunlight shadowed only by the wooden beams haphazardly placed to keep the walls from caving in. There was a large wooden table meant for several people crammed into the corner, out of place. He squeezed himself into one of the chairs and watched Fundy pour water into a kettle. Fundy came back while the water boiled to make small talk.

"So, how are you?"

"Doing fine, Tubbo is being a pain about the other disc though."

"How is George?"

Dream paused. This seemed like a loaded question.

"...Good."

They remained silent for a minute afterwards, Dream trying to find some way to muster up the courage to apologize.

"Sorry about the wedding... and the stuff you made. Will you forgive me?"

Fundy looked at him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, before he mumbled something about the water having boiled and moved to the kitchen. 

Dream shifted in his chair and glanced at the gaping hole in the wall.

"Is there anything I can do to make up for... that?" Normally he wouldn't have cared about destruction of property but in this case, he owed the bare minimum to the fox.

"I was planning to reinforce the walls anyways. You can help me out with something else. " 

Fundy waved his paw nonchalantly, looking at something behind Dream instead of at him.

"Oh. Um. What is it?" Dream hoped it didn't collide with any of the plans he already had.

"Come back tomorrow morning and you'll see."

Fundy somehow managed to sip the tea with his foxlike muzzle without spilling anything. His digitigrade legs were pulled up to his chest, and his tail rested on his hind-paws, which jutted out awkwardly from the chair.

Dream wondered what his Curse was, for the first time since meeting him. Was Fundy a human trapped in the consequence of his Epithet, just like him? Or was he free from consequence, as his father had once seemed to be, sentenced to a painful post mortem?

They drank in silence, Fundy clearly living out a separate reality in his head.

Dream had lifted his mask slightly to allow the warm porcelain to access his mouth. To Fundy, it looked as though the tea disappeared into the human shaped being of light in front of him.

"Tea was nice."

Fundy nodded curtly, paws fiddling with the fur on his tail. Dream could hazily remember him doing that on the day they were to be wed.

"I'll come back tomorrow to fix- help you. I promise." Dream stood up and headed towards the door. As he left the house, he heard a muttered reply that felt like someone drove an icicle into his chest.

"I'll add that to the list."

It was- it should have been infuriating, something so snarky and unnecessary that Dream should have turned around and told him how lucky he was to even be alive. It shouldn't have affected him, because he didn't care about Fundy, he never did. It was over, and all that mattered were the discs. This was just unfinished business.

* * *

The next day Fundy heard the light thunk of steel toed boots on wooden planks and paused, ears twitching at sound. His tail swished in spite of itself, a knee-jerk response to a once-comforting sound.

He frowned and continued to remain hunched over the patch of dirt in front of him, scooping out mounds of soil to create pits. A droplet of sweat trickled down his forehead, and the sun seemed to beat down on the brim of his wide straw hat mercilessly.

"Fundy?"

"I'm out back!" He stopped his work to reply, still surprised Dream even turned up.

"What did y-" Dream's words died in his mouth as he took in what appeared to be a very fox-like person in overalls and a large hat, tailored to fit two ears and a tail.

"Didn't expect you to show. Help me plant these flowers, will you?" Fundy couldn't see the other's expression, and was briefly confused as they both stared at eachother.

"Is that you?"

Fundy let out a short bark of laughter at that question, fangs exposed, ears pressed playfully back against his head.

"I forgot you've only ever seen me in my fox form. I don't usually turn human-like, it fucks with my balance and it's tiring." Fundy gestured down to his legs, still animalistic in nature.

"I see." Dream imagined it was a bit like holding a pose.

"I needed the extra depth perception today though." Fundy wiped the sweat off of his forehead and squatted down next to the soon to be flower bed. Dream kneeled down next to him, awaiting instruction.

And if he was a little enraptured by the glint of the scales scattered across Fundy's cheekbones and nose, or the small fin-like protrusions that sprouted up from the base of the fox ears, or the delicate webbing between his claws, or the frilled gills on his neck, then that was nobody's business but his own.

"Um. Dream. Now you try." Fundy said, snapping him out of his hypnotized state.

"You look, different."

"No shit?" Fundy raised his eyebrows in confusion. They were bushy and streaked with white like his hair.

"In a good way- I like- Uh- I like your scales. Very. Shiny."

"Oh." 

Fundy flushed, bringing a claw up to touch one of his scales. It flaked off, teal with the slightest memory of red. The hybrid's tail thumped the ground erratically for a split second before Fundy regained his composure and willed it to stop.

"Thanks, I guess." He managed to mumble, still flustered but annoyed at himself for being affected so easily. His eyes flicked back up to meet the gaze of Dream's porcelain mask, still fixated on his features. It stared back, never revealing the expression of the person (?) Behind it. Fundy once again asked himself how he managed to get himself worked up over a faceless flashlight cryptid.

"Can you stop staring? I'd like to get this done before a creeper notices and blows up the whole thing."

"Sorry. What did you want me to try?"

"Start planting these bulbs," Fundy pointed to a basket filled with seed packets and flower bulbs.

"Just cover them with dirt after you put them in the pits." Fundy stated the obvious, resuming what he was doing before dream arrived. He carved out holes in the soil with his claws, enchanted shovel laying forgotten on the side.

"Why aren't you using a shovel?" Dream piped up. Fundy stifled a sigh.

"I dunno, it just. Feels better I guess? " He shrugged, letting a palmful of earth crumble through his fingers.

"Is it a fox thing?"

"Maybe." Came the curt reply.

Dream found it adorable. Though soon the silence was heavy on their shoulders like a weighted blanket, and the domesticity faded into the anticipation of words still unsaid. Dream was the first to break the silence again.

"Is that your epithet?"

"What?"

"Shapeshifting into a fox thing, I mean."

"It's not. Although, my epithet has caused me to turn into this massive fuckup of a thing." The hybrid frowned, picking at the scales on his face again. Dream noticed he did that quite a bit, almost as if he was trying to rid himself of them subconsciously.

"I can relate." Dream gestured to his body, that glowed a tad bit brighter than the sun on the ground. Like a Dream shaped chunk had been scooped from the world and replaced with a neon green shadow of itself. 

Fundy chuckled dryly, and the sun made his canines glint as he laughed. Dream felt a little like prey; a hapless sea creature drawn to the alluring light of an angler fish.

"What is your Epithet, then?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." The scaled fox quipped, a clear prod to make Dream mind his own business.

"Do you know how to undo it?"

"Do you?"

"Touché."

Dream chewed his lip, tasting a bit of blood as his fangs punctured skin. He could never tell if he was injured, as cuts and bruises never showed. So he usually tried not to be hit in the first place.

"What's on your fingers?" Dream noticed a glint of teal colored magic. An enchantment?

"You sure are eager to get to know me now that we've broken up."

Ice cold. Yikes. Dream decided to hold his tongue.

Eventually they were done, and Dream's head was still buzzing with questions. He almost didn't want the monotony of shoveling dirt to end. 

Still, Dream began the walk back to his hidden house. 

He could feel Fundy's gaze boring into his back, eyes and scales aglow in the feeble dusk sunlight.

He paused, and looked back.

"Can I... can I come visit sometime?" 

"Sure. Better than talking to my dead amnesiac dad." 

Fundy shrugged, no love in the way the hybrid squinted at him, mist curling off of the fox's shadowed from as he returned to a more animal-like form.

Dream left New L'manberg wondering what the hell had come out of his mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this ages ago and then the plot progressed :sadge: guess i'll die... any ways i hope yall enjoy this ride I've been brainrotting for a few months about this idea!
> 
> Also, the epithet idea is cool i promise i swear just trust bro


End file.
